We Live for Each Other

Stuck in a post-spring break slump? This week’s Shining Sisters are sure to spark your interest with their stories that encapsulate the essence of selflessness, passion, and talent. We believe that individuality calls for celebration, and are proud to be a chapter full of unapologetic, uniquely real, hard working women who believe in the beauty of fierce, authentic love for ourselves and each other.

Caroline Whitlock

Press pause on Criminal Minds, we have our very own sister who’ll knock you dead with her invasive new internship. Caroline Whitlock is using her passion for the gift of healing to push her in the direction of her clinically-driven dreams.

“I work at Greenville Memorial Hospital with a group of private forensic pathologists. The huge question that everyone has for me: why do you have this job and how on earth did you get it? So to answer both: I am a Health Science major here at Clemson and part of our curriculum requires us to get an internship our junior or senior year to prepare us for our future career aspirations and help us gain exposure in the medical field. I knew I wanted to do something clinically based and I knew of a few people in Health Science who had done this specific internship in the past. So, I asked my teacher if a position was available in the morgue, and here I am!

The first thing I do when I get to the morgue in the morning is set the room up. I pull out all the tools that the pathologists need - yes, this involves knives and other crazy objects - and protective gear for everyone in the room. I also go to the cooler and get the body for the first case we have. I then get to work undressing the body and taking pictures of the descendent. Once we get the body on the table, we can start the autopsies. Without getting too gory, my main job is to conduct the autopsy on the head and ultimately extract the brain for the pathologist to examine (pretty crazy they allow us to do this as undergrads!). This is definitely one of my favorite parts of the job in addition to getting to interact with the law enforcement side of forensic pathology. There are usually deputy coroners in the room during autopsies that educate us on certain aspects of the case like time the descendent was last seen alive, what the scene looked like upon arrival, and any information obtained from witnesses. After all cases have been completed, I finish up my day by cleaning (spring cleaning on steroids) and I sometimes head over to the coroner’s office to work on a project for my internship. Typical Monday, am I right?

Although this job is crazy, I have learned so much about the role that pathologists play in medicine. Not all autopsies are “Criminal Minds” level cool, but each case has something valuable to learn from and most are just hospital cases or natural deaths (not all criminal-related). It motivates me to work even harder to get into Physician Assistant school so that I can one day contribute to the role everyone in the medical field plays in healing people. Although this job has been an amazing opportunity, it definitely has its downsides. We see a lot of sad cases that are hard for me to forget, but, again, this just motivates me to work harder to save more lives in the future.” - Caroline Whitlock, AC ‘16

Fun Facts about Caroline:

- Favorite throwback jam? Best Love Song x T Pain

- Who is your biggest role model and why? My mom, she is seriously the sweetest person and not just because she is my mom. I look up to her for so many reasons and will always strive to be like her when I am a mother

- If you could trade places with someone for one day, who would it be and why? Meredith Grey because she is my favorite part of Grey’s Anatomy and I could watch it alllll day long

Mairin Noonan

Speaking of death, who’s ready to be back home in Death Valley on Saturday? For our sister Mairin Noonan, however, football is always in season. There’s nothing quite like the universal chills that sweep the stadium when the 4th quarter video comes on, and all gratitude goes to people like our very own “Video Girl” Mairin.

“I've been interning with the Clemson Football team for three years now and what a wild ride it has been! My freshman year, we won the first National Championship for Clemson since 1981. My sophomore year, we won our third ACC Championship in a row and appeared in the College Football Playoffs. My junior year, we won the third overall National Championship title for Clemson just two years after our second title. Now THAT is making history. I am so honored and humbled to have been a part of the amazing team that made all of this possible. My official title is Clemson Football Video Student Assistant, but everyone at work calls me "Video Girl" because, as I'm sure you can imagine, it is a mostly male environment at the Reeves Operating Center. My daily tasks often include organizing coaches' practice film, getting creative shots at practice, uploading game footage, choosing music for highlight videos, coming up with creative ideas for social media platforms as well as team videos, and interviewing former and current players. My favorite part about my job is getting to be on the sidelines during games and traveling all over the country with the team. My favorite memory is actually from my freshman year, College Gameday came to Clemson with THE Samantha Ponder, a famous sportscaster and the host of College Gameday. I got to wake up at the crack of dawn and watch from behind the set as College Gameday filmed on Bowman Field. I had the opportunity to shadow Sam throughout the game and was present for most of her sideline interviews and stand-ups. It was the BEST DAY!

I actually learned the skills for this job in high school as a Broadcast Journalism major at Wando High School. I was the News Director for two years for the school news show. This allowed me to learn important interview skills as well as become familiar with video editing software. This internship has allowed me to see what I am good at and what skills I need to improve upon. The most challenging aspect has been the time commitment. I have to balance being a full time college student, hold a position for Alpha Delta Pi, remain involved in other organizations on campus, and work at least four hours a day during the fall. I have learned valuable time-management skills throughout my time with the football team. This job has opened so many doors for me and has allowed me to make countless connections that will benefit me in my future aspirations. If I had to choose one person who has inspired me throughout my time working for the team, it would have to be Coach Dabo Swinney. He has overcome every challenge thrown his way and exceeded everyone's expectations from the beginning. From taking over as interim head coach to leading his team to two national championships, he is truly an amazing individual. However, it is not these accomplishments that inspire me. It is the way he treats people. He makes a point to get to know everyone who works with the team. He will go out of his way to say hello and smile at you, even when he has way more important people to talk to. He makes everyone feel special. It is a blessing to know him and even more of a blessing to work for the program he has built. This has truly been an unforgettable experience.” - Mairin Noonan, AC ‘16

Fun Facts about Mairin:

- Go-to late night snack? Mint chocolate chip Halo Top ice cream (or anything chocolate if we're being honest)

- Where is your happy place? 11th street on Sullivan's Island, you can see the ocean, downtown Charleston, and the Ravenel Bridge. It's the perfect little beach spot!

- Top 3 things on your bucket list? (1) to travel to all seven wonders of the world, (2) dive in a shark cage in South Africa, and (3) climb at least to the base camp of Mount Everest

Kendall Goedeke

Before football season is officially back, it’s recruitment season, baby! This year’s Recruitment and Marketing Vice President Kendall Goedeke is thrilled to lead our chapter in advocating for the tremendous growth and inspiring girl gang instilled through membership in ADPi and determined to bring the best and brightest home to Zeta Nu.

“I am so blessed with the opportunity to serve as the Recruitment and Marketing Vice President (RMVP) for Alpha Delta Pi this year! Being from St. Louis, Missouri, recruitment was one of the most important times for me as a freshman because it set the tone for my entire college experience. I came to Clemson not knowing a soul, which made me incredibly excited to jump in as a potential new member (PNM) and get to know other girls the moment I moved on campus. My experience as a PNM was truly the greatest and I want to be able to give that same experience to every girl who decides to go through sorority recruitment this upcoming fall.

How did I know I wanted to oversee recruitment? It all started last year when I was fortunate enough to serve as our chapter’s Social Media Chair. Through this role, I was able to market ADPi to current members, alumnae, the Clemson community, and PNMs across all social media outlets. This position fell under the Recruitment and Marketing team, so I worked very closely with last year’s RMVP, Lauren Stambaugh. After working with Lauren and seeing what her job entailed, I knew that I wanted to run for RMVP. Having a role on the Executive Board this year is time consuming and challenging, but if I could describe my experience so far in one word it would be: inspiring. The entire Exec team is so motivated to live out this year’s chapter motto, “Be Brave, Be Bold, Be Better,” in everything we do. It has such been a treat to work with and learn from such amazing girls.

My love for recruitment fueled my desire to have this position and it has been so rewarding to lead our chapter in preparing for what we have planned this coming August! More important than my love for recruitment, however, is my love for Alpha Delta Pi. This sorority has given me so much more than I could have ever imagined in my last two years at Clemson. Here in ADPi, I found my very best friends - the friends I always dreamed of having. I found the girls who will get up at 6am to go to cycling class, the girls who will pull all-nighters to study for a huge exam, the girls who text in all caps in our group message the moment something exciting happens, the girls who encourage me through a busy week, the girls who are always willing to go on an adventure, and the girls who I can sit with at the beach on spring break and laugh until my stomach hurts until 2am. Each and every girl I have met in ADPi is so unique and special, making me want to become a better person in one way or another. Everyone brings something different to the table and always has a fresh perspective on life. My biggest goal as RMVP is to communicate this special sisterhood we have to every single potential new member who walks through our doors in August. The fall’s recruitment seriously cannot come soon enough...I can’t wait to meet the newest members of Zeta Nu!” - Kendall Goedeke, AC ‘17

Fun Facts about Kendall:

- What’s your dream job? Head of Marketing/Branding for Lululemon or Free People

- Fav Clemson memory? Hands down winning a Taco Bell student ticket to the National Championship football game in Santa Clara, CA this year. Three of my best friends also won a ticket and we had the best trip exploring San Francisco and of course watching our tigers KILL Alabama!

- What's your favorite holiday and why? Thanksgiving because I get to be home with my family and it’s a time to reflect on all of the things in life that we are thankful for and blessed with.